See Which HSM Star Is Cutting Class

This Major Star Is Skipping High School Musical 4

Ashley Tisdale has announced that she's skipping school...the upcoming High School Musical 4, to be exact. In an interview with New You magazine, the former Disney Channel star said that she's decided to opt out of the fourth entry into the the HSM franchise to focus on other projects.

Tisdale, 30, said she was grateful to introduce fans to Sharpay when the first film debuted in 2006. But she squashed any rumors about her appearance in the upcoming installment, saying that the trilogy's appeal was a mixture of youthful friendships and the talent of director Kenny Ortega. "Looking back, it was such a perfect thing for its time and was so pure that I just don’t know how you go from there. High School Musical didn’t make us, we made High School Musical because of our friendship, how close we were, and the magic there at the time," Tisdale told the magazine. Ortega has also declined to return to the series, according to Deadline.

Instead of starting school with a new generation of East High Wildcats, Tisdale has several indie projects in the works, including a comedy with Jason Biggs. The actress said that she's had difficulty reminding people in the industry that she's more than just Sharpay, the precocious teen she made famous in the HSM movies. "Sharpay was such an awesome character, but at the end of the day it was a character; it wasn’t me," Tisdale said. "Anything that I’ve gotten since then, TV-wise and movie-wise, is me really fighting for it. I think that journey is what makes me so grateful for everything."